More than a dozen universities from across the world are vying for the top spot in a competition hosted by the City of New York to build a school of applied science on city land. The winner looks to gain up to $400 million in land and infrastructure grants. Just days before the October 28th contest deadline, Cornell University and Stanford University sat at the top of the list, with both schools presenting lofty green plans for their proposed satellite campuses. The plans include acres of solar panels, hundreds of geothermal wells, and a goal to keep emissions and energy use down to a minimum. The competition proffers up three city spots, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Governors Island, and Roosevelt Island — both top contenders use Roosevelt’s southern tip as their location of choice.